Arkansas Blog

Arkansas election results certified

The secretary of state's office announced that Nov. 4 election results had been certified. About 50 percent of the state's 1.7 million registered voters went to the polls.

I'm still awaiting an answer on what plans the office has to correct a protocol dating back to 2008 that improperly filed a must-show-ID notice on voter files for people who've transferred registration from one county to another. The protocol was discovered this year in the close inspection of election practices that came with the successful challenge of the law requiring a photo ID for voters. That lawsuit established clear limits on identification requirements, based on the Constitution. Voters must identify themselves — with a name, address and birthdate that matches voter rolls, but are not required to display an ID unless they are first-time voters and registered without providing proof of ID at registration.

A spokesman for the secretary of state told me this week that the matter remains under review.